Meet Katie, the Canine Innkeeper

“He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion.” –Anonymous

Although we, Dave and Heidi Lanford, are the head innkeepers here at the Iris Inn, there is a third individual who whole-heartedly welcomes guests on arrival. She helps show them to their rooms, keeps them entertained, and bids them farewell when they leave. We are, of course, talking about Katie, our 12-year old border collie who has been our constant companion since she was five months old.

A few reasons why we all love Katie:

Guests enjoy using a “launcher” to throw tennis balls for Katie outside. She always returns with a tennis ball, but we suspect that it’s rarely the same ball that was thrown. There are tennis balls scattered about the surrounding woods, and Katie always manages to bring one back so as not to disappoint the thrower.

To the delight of most everyone who meets Katie, she has a trigger word—“tail.” Say this word to her, and she will immediately begin chasing her tail, her barks growing louder as her viewers’ laughter increases. Sometimes it requires a firm command of “stop” before she actually ceases the pursuit of her tail.

If Katie wants you to throw her ball for her inside the inn, she certainly lets you know. She nudges it towards you with her nose, and then backs up in anticipation.

Katie knows she is not allowed in the rooms, so after she had helped show guests to the rooms, she patiently waits at the threshold, nudging her ball into the room so that guests will play with her.

Know that when you arrive here at the inn, you will be met with the utmost warmth and enthusiasm, not only by your innkeepers, but also by our beloved Katie.